Golf putters come in a variety of sizes and styles. Further, there are numerous approaches to putting which will affect the size and type of putter used by a player. Specifically, there is no one particular stance, posture or grip that is preferred by most players. Instead, successful golfers, including professional golfers, employ different techniques to achieve success. Further, serious golfers will often make changes in their putting technique during the course of a single season or over the course of several years.
For example, many golf instructors advise theirs students to adjust their stance so that their eyes are disposed vertically above the ball which, according to this theory, enables the golfer to move the putter head through the correct line towards the intended target. However, this technique requires the golfer to stand closer to the ball than is naturally comfortable. As a result, a golfer may have already purchased a putter with a shaft angle that is inappropriate or, in other words, results in the handle of the shaft engaging the golfer's waist or thighs after the golfer has moved closer to the ball.
Further, because most putters include a relatively flat sole, the shaft angle cannot be adjusted because the sole of the putter head must lie flat on the ground and raising or lowering the shaft to accommodate a different stance would result in poor contact between the putter face and the ball or a “mishit.”
In addition to the position of the head or eyes relative to the ball, golfers may make other changes that would affect the size of the putter and the shaft angle. For example, the width of the stance, or the distance between the golfer's feet will often undergo changes during a golfer's career. Golfers may also “open” or “close” their stance to correct alignment problems. For example, some golfers prefer an open stance where the forward foot is moved farther away from the ball than the rearward foot which gives the golfer a more clear view of the target. However, some golfers tend to pull their puts using an open stance and may switch to a closed stance where the rearward foot is moved back away from the ball.
Many golfers will also change the position of their hands. For example, some golfers prefer that their arms be fully extended to create a pendulum motion as the putter is swung back and forward through the ball. Other golfers are more comfortable with the arms being bent and the hands closer to their body.
The above changes and other adjustments that can be made to anyone's putting technique will obviously affect the optimal size and type of putter employed. As a result, many golfers purchase numerous putters over the course of their golfing careers. Some golfers may purchase more than one putter over the course of a single season.
One type of putter that has been developed which enables a golfer to make some changes to his or her putting stance without requiring a new putter are putters that include a sole with a curved or arcuate surface from the toe to the heel of the putter head as opposed to a flat surface. Putters with such curved or arcuate soles enable the golfer to adjust the position of the grip or shaft to achieve a comfortable position without severely or adversely affecting the position of the putter head relative to the ball.
However, putters with curved or arcuate soles suffer from a common drawback associated with putters having flat soles. Specifically, the amount of surface area contact between the putter sole and the ground or the drag experienced if the putter sole engages the ground during a putting stroke is substantial. If the golfer makes an error in the stroke resulting in the putter sole engaging the ground before the putter head strikes the ball, the speed of the putter head is slowed substantially thereby resulting in a short shot. Even though the sole is curved from heel-to-toe, the curvature is relatively slight and the sole is flat in the face to rear direction which still provides for a substantial amount of surface contact between the sole and the ground in the event of a poor stroke. Further, the junction between the putter face and the sole is typically a right angle which results in a leading edge that, if engaged with the ground, results in a substantial drag between the putter head and the ground which reduces the putter head speed and results in a short shot and/or a shot that is off line.
The balance of the putter head from heel-to-toe is an essential design component. If the putter head is weighted so that the toe has a greater mass than the heel, it is difficult for the golfer to maintain the putter head in correct alignment through the shot. That is, the greater mass of the toe causes the toe to proceed through the stroke with a greater momentum, causing the putter face to close, or the toe to move at a slightly faster rate than the heel thereby causing the shot to be pulled to the left for a right-handed golfer or pulled to the right for a left-handed golfer. In contrast, if the heel of the putter head has a greater mass than the toe, the opposite can happen resulting in the shot being pushed to the right for a right-handed golfer or pushed to the left for a left-handed golfer.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved golf putter head that solves the three problems mentioned above. Specifically, there is a need for an improved golf putter head which enables adjustments to the golfer's stance without requiring a new or different putter. Further, there is a need for an improved golf putter head that is more forgiving in terms of mishits where the golfer mistakenly engages the sole of the putter with the ground prior to striking the ball. Still further, there is a need for an improved golf putter head that solves the two aforenoted problems in addition to providing correct heel-to-toe balance of the putter head.